Geared wrench



Aug. 24,1937. F. A. RIEMKE GEARED `WRFNCH Filed Dec. kso, 1935 /N VEN TOR Patented Aug. 24, 1937 'unire stares 'PATENT ori-"lolaJ 3 Claims.

My invention relates to geared wrenches, and its principal object is to provide a wrench which is particularly adapted'for use in very close or tight places where wrenches of thev usual type cannot be conveniently employed such, for example, as in removing and replacing a drain plug in the crank case or oil pan of an automobile. These drain plugs, while very diicult of access, require frequent attention and cause considerable loss of time in illing stations and garages where the operation of oil changing is performed.

According to the present invention, I have provided a Wrench by means of which the operator can screw and unscrew a drain plug very quickly and without rotary movement of the wrench handle, while at the same time such movement may be applied in the -initial operation of removing the plug and in the final movement of replacing the same in such manner as to exert the requisite turning force at these points.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment thereof, in which drawing- Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved wrench taken-uponthe longitudinal axis of the same.

Figure 2 is a sectional plan View taken on line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a transverse section on, line 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a similar section on line E-B of Figure 2.

Like characters designate corresponding .parts throughout the several views.

I, 2 are apair of frame members, preferably stamped fromsheet steel and butt welded at 3, d to form a unitary structure which serves as a housing for the working parts of the wrench. One end of the housing so formed has a substantially rectangular box-shaped portion 5, while the other end 6 is so shaped as to provide a convenient handle for the wrench. The space 5 is enclosed by upper and lower plates or covers 1, 8 secured in position by welding or other means during the assembling operation. Within the cover 1 is a circular opening 9 in which is rotatably mounted the hub I0 of a bevel gear I I,` which gear is bored to receive a vertical shmt'l2 to which it is rotatively secured by the key I3. The shaft I2 is formed at its upper end I4 of hexagonal or other polygonal shape'adapted to receive the lower portion of a socket I5,A the upper portion of which is provided with a'larger polygonal opening I6 of such size as to engage the head of the oil plug or other member to be operated upon. The lower portion of the shaft I2 is journaled in a bearing I1 in the cover 8, and intermediate of this bearing and the underside of the bevel gear I I is a. squared portion I8, the purpose of which'will be explained hereinafter.

The narrower portion of the housing, intermediate of the handle 6 and the space 5, vis provided with transverse braces Il, 20 secured to the members I and 2 by journaled portions I9I, 28|, respectively, which pass through openings in the Said members and are riveted over upon the outside thereof as shown clearly in Figure 2. Journaled in bearings S92, 282 in thebraces i9, 20 and also in a bearing 2| in the outer end of the handle 6 is a central yshaft 23 which carries at one end a bevel pinion 24 adapted to mesh with the bevel gear II and rotatively secured to this shaft by a key 25, while upon the other end of the said shaft is keyed a crank 26 having a crank pin 21 and a handle 28 by which the shaft* shaft I2, but are normally held out of engaget ment therewith as shown in Figures 1 and 2, so that the said shaft can rotate freely, the jaws being cut away in.arcuate form as .indicated at 32 to permit this. The underside of the block 29 rests upon the inner face of the cover `il, while s the upper side is engaged by a bar 33 which maintains the block in sliding contact with the said cover. Secured within a notch 34 in the underlside of the block 29 by means of screws 35 is a fiat plate 38 which extends in the direction of the handle 6.; The plate 36 is cut away as indicated at 31 to provide clearance for the squared portion I8 of the shaft I2 and beyond this cutaway portion is narrowed as indicated at 38 so as to slide freely between the members I and 2, the extreme end of this narrowed portion being secured by a screw 39 to a block 40.

It will be observed by reference toFigure 4 that the members I, 2 are of slightly channeled cross section having inwardly turned flanges 4I and the block 40 is so shaped as to t slidably between these iianges while at the same time it is bored to receive the journaled portion 433 of a. pawl 43, the said journaled portion being se. cured in position endwise by means of a washer 45. The pawl 43 is rotatably fitted to the shaft 23 and its upper end is adapted to engage in a notch 44 in the member 2. Intermediate of the brace I9 and the block 4I) and surrounding the shaft 23 is a helical spring 42, one end of which abuts upon the brace I9 while the other end abuts upon the block 40 so as to normally force the block 40 into the position shown in dotted lines at 40' in Figure 1. The ends of the spring 42 arebent over at 42| and `42; so as to engage in openings in the brace I9 and in the washer 45, respectively, so that the spring is capable of exerting torsional force tending to rotate the Washer 45 and with it the pawl 43, whereby the latter is caused to engage the notch 44 in the member 2. The Washer 45 is rotatively secured to the pawlI by any suitable means, not shown, and the arrangement in general is such that by pushing upon the lower tail 432 of the pawl 43 it, together with the block 4U, may be forced against the endwise action of the spring 42 into the position shown in full lines in Figures 1 and 2, at which time the pawl engages the notch 44 and the parts are sc maintained until released by a radial movement of the tail 432 against the torsional action of the spring.

In operation, when it is desired to remove a plug, the wrench is so placed that the socket I5 engages the sam'e, and the pawl 43 is released, a1- lowing the block 29 to come into engagement with the squared portion I8 of the shaft I2. The handle of the wrench is then moved radially so as to slacken oi the initial compressive force of the plug, after which' the block 29 is moved to disengage the shaft I2 and the plug is rapidly unscrewed by rotation of the crank 26. When reinserting the plug, the same is rotated through Y the greater part of the required movement by means of .the crank 26 and the pawl 43 is then released, allowing the block 23 to engage the shaft I2 to permit of the final tightening action by radial movement of the wrench as a whole.

It will be understood from the foregoing description and by reference to the drawing that I Ahave provided a wrench which is simple in construction and economicalto manufacture by modern production methods, and while I have' herein described a preferred form thereof, it will be understood that the details may be varied to suit any particular requirement without depart-v ing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claimand desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: 1. A wrench of the character described comprising, a housing formed from a pair ofy sheet metal strips arranged at one end in close parallel spaced relation adapted to formi 'a handle and having at the other end an enlarged portion adapted to form a gear box; upper and.4

lower plates secured to said strips; a bevel gear iournaled in said upper plate; a vertical shaft keyed withiny said bevel gear and journaled in said lower plate, and having thereupon an external socket adapted to engage an element to be turned; a longitudinal shaft journaled in said handle and having crank means upon the outside thereof; a bevel pinion upon said longitudinal shaft extending` into said gear box and meshing with said bevel gear; and means for locking said vertical shaft and preventing rotation of the same relative to said housing, said means comprising a squared portion upon said vertical shaft,

a yoke having parallel internal surfaces adapted to engage said squared portion of said shaft, means for moving said yoke in and out of engagement with said squared portion of said shaft,

. resilient means normally urging said yoke into engagement, and trigger means for holding the same out of engagement with said squared portion of said shaft.v

2.`A wrench comprising a housing formed at one end as a handle and having at the other end spring normally urging said member into engagement with said shaft, and locking means for holding said member out of engagement against the action of said spring.

3. A wrench comprising a housing formed at one end as a handle and having at the other end a transverse shaft provided with a socket adapted to engage an element to be turned, a

bevel gear upon said shaft, a longitudinal shaft extending through said lhandle and having crank means upon the outer end-thereof, a bevel pinion upon said longitudinal shaft meshing with said bevel gear, a polygonal portion uponl said. transverse shaft, a memberslidable longitudinally upon said housing and adapted to engage said polygonal portion of said transverse shaft and prevent rotation of the same relative to said housing, a spring normally .urging said member into engagement with said shaft, locking means for holding said member out of engagement against the action of said spring, and trigger means for rendering said locking means inoperative.

FRANCIS A. RIEMU. y 

